Safety construction for the waste receiving mouth of garbage disposer



June 1, 1957 c. w. SAWYER SAFETY coNsTRucnoN FOR THE WASTE RECEIVI MOUTH OF GARBAGE DISPOSER Filed Sept 29, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent SAFETY CONSTRUCTIGN FOR THE WASTE RE- CEIVING MOUTH 0F GARBAGE DISPOSER Carl W. Sawyer, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Electro- Way Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application September 29, 1955, Serial No. 537,354

4 Claims. (Cl. 209-155) The present invention relates to a construction for cooperation with a garbage disposer whereby silverware accidentally dropped therein or thereon will not enter the garbage disposer but may be retrieved, and wherein the hands and fingers of the operator using the garbage disposer are prevented from contacting with the grinding elements of the garbage disposer.

With respect to the foregoing object, the present invention is utilized in conjunction with a commercial type garbage disposer of a form which contemplates continuous passage of waste material into the disposer, which grinds the said waste material and flushes the same down the drain and into the sewage system.

Garbage disposers are utilized in hotels, cafeterias, lunch rooms, and the like, for the rapid disposal of waste material, and the present invention assures, in the case of the schools, that school children utilizing the disposer, will not suffer injury to the hands as the invention effectively prevents the fingers or hands from entering the disposer. Furthermore, in the case of carelessness, such as by feeding silverware or other articles, along with garbage toward the mouth of the disposer, such articles are prevented from entering the disposer and suffering damage.

I contemplate, as stated, a commercial garbage disposer. However, a commercial garbage disposer only differs from the usual household garbage disposer in the matter of size and horsepower, and my invention is adaptable for household use as well as commercial use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of suitable means to be used in conjunction with a garbage disposer which is eflicient in operation, affords a safety factor, is inexpensive in cost of manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

The invention is also easily installed within a minimum of time and expense.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in one embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary view of the invention shown as an entirety and in cooperation with a garbage disposer.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the invention shown in Figure l and on an enlarged scale, and,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, on an enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown in Figure 1, at 1, a garbage disposer of some type and, in the present instance, a so-called commercial type adapted to handle large amounts of waste food which, after grinding and admixing with water, will flow through the drain pipe 2 to the sewer. As garbage disposers are dangerous in the event that the hand is thrust within the same during a grindin operation, I have provided means whereby neither the hands nor silverware, and other non-waste articles, are capable of being directed into the mouth of the garbage disposer but may be retrieved. Garbage disposers of the commercial type or home type usually include a motor of varying horsepower adapted to drive blades or other grinding means while water is being poured Within the disposer and food deposited therein to be ground, admixed with the water and directed through the drain pipe. The grinding means within the disposer usually rotates at a high speed and, as a consequence, said means may be considered dangerous to the fingers or to any object other than waste food which may be dropped accidentally within the disposer. Accordingly, I have provided the means of the present invention which effectively retrieves and prevents means other than waste food from entering the disposer, and which renders the present disposer adaptable for school cafeterias where children, as a rule, must clean the dishes the dishes and silverware and dispose of the garbage.

The disposer 1 has the usual mouth 3 of enlarged size and, in some of the disposers, the mouth is provided with a rubber splash guard, as shown at 4, which resiliently obstructs entrance to the disposer. In the present instance, I provide a conical sink casing 5 having a flange 6 secured to the mouth end of the disposer. As a rule, the month end of the disposer is provided with a flange 7 and, in the present instance, the conical sink casing flange 6 bears against the mouth flange 7 on one side thereof, while an enlarged washer 9 overlies the opposite surface of flange 6, which parts are held in assembly by screws 10, or by other means. It is intended that the conical sink casing should be of suflicient strength to adequately support the disposer. As shown in Figure 3, the conical sink casing is provided with a top flange 6 which is secured to and beneath the sink top. Overlying and in part received Within the conical sink casing, is a further casing 11 which 1 term the guard or safety casing and which is of conical form. Overlying the safety casing is a safety top or cover 12. The upper marginal edge 13 of the safety casing 11 is interposed between the conical casing 5 and safety top 12, the said safety casing and safety top being secured together at this zone. The safety casing 11 is so formed as to have two downwardly sloping annular portions 14 and 15, with an interconnecting cylindrical wall portion 16 therebetween, the said wall 16 being substantially coaxial with the axis of said casing, the said downwardly sloping wall 15 having a portion which is elevated at 17 and connected to a tubular portion 18, which is co-aXial with the axis of said casing, which tubular portion fits within the mouth of the garbage disposer 1. As shown in Figure 3, an annular trough 19 is provided between the portions 15 and 17 and this trough lies below the top 20 leading to the tubular portion 18.

The top 12 constitutes a plate provided with a Z-sectioned annular flange 21, which is flush with the main sink top and provides a depressed portion below the main sink top for the said plate. The said top is formed adjacent the Z-flange with a depressed portion 22, provided with an opening 23, affording access within the safety casing 11. The opening 23 is bounded by flange 24, one segmental portion of the said flange having the same radius of curvature as the Z-shaped flange 21, as shown at 25, while the remaining portion of the opening inclines downwardly from portion 25, the depressed portion 22 being substantially crescent shaped, as best illustrated in Figure 2. As shown, the center of the opening overlies the cylindrical wall 16 and the said opening 23 directly communicates with the portions 14 and 15 of the safety casing.

The safety casing 11 is provided with annular cut-away sectors 27 and 28, there being a lip 29 between said cutaway portions, and the said lip 29 and the remaining semi-circumferential portion of said safety casing is welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the Z-fiange 21 of top 12.

I have shown at 30, a pipe which leads to a source of water supply under pressure, and which:pipe is passed through the wall of the conical casing 5 and provided with an angular end at 31 for jetting water within the portion 14 of the safety casing 11, as indicated by the dotted lines 32. The outlet from the jet is adjacent the portion 25 of opening 23.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

I preferably use a continuously operating commercial garbage disposer of the type wherein food waste may be continuously fed through the opening 23 for deposit upon the safety casing while water is being jetted under pressure and in a circular motion on portion 14 of the casing 11.. The waste material may be shoved over the surface of the top 12 toward the opening 23, and a vortex, comprising both the water and the waste material occurs, with the waste material directed, along with the water, onto portion 15 and thence through tubular portion 18 into the garbage disposer.

If we assume that silverware has accidentally been pushed through the opening 23 along with waste food, the silverware, by being heavy, at least heavier than the Waste food when admixed with water, will drop either onto portion 14, or directly onto the portion 15 of the safety casing, and be trapped in the annular trough at 19 so that said silverware will not float over the elevated annular portion 20 and into the disposer. To retrieve the silverware, and likewise to wash the safety casing, the hand may be passed through the opening 23 and the safety casing and top 12 removed from the conical sink casing 5. The cut-away portions shown at 27 and 28 permit any object, such as silverware, entrapped in the annular trough 19, to be retrieved when the casing with its top is turned on edge. Furthermore, cleaning is easy of accomplishment as the openings at 27 and 28 are of suflicient size to allow the hand to enter between the top and the casing.

By placing the opening 23 eccentrically to the top 12 and closely adjacent the Zfiange, it is quite impossible.

to run the hand through the opening and into the mouth of the disposer, as is self-evident upon inspection of the drawing.

I claim:

1. A safety construction for the waste receiving mouth of a garbage disposer, including a conical casing secured to said garbage disposer at the mouth portion thereof, a second substantially conical casing formed with a cylindrical wall for reception within the mouth of said garbage disposer, said second conical casing formed with an annular trough portion surrounding the cylindrical wall,

and a cover overlying both conical casings and provided with an opening eccentric to the cylindrical wall through which eccentric opening garbage is passed.

2. A safety construction for the waste receiving mouth of a garbage disposer, including: an inverted conical casing, the apex of which is concentric with the mouth portion of the garbage disposer, a second substantially inverted conical casing formed with a cylindrical wall at its apex for reception within the mouth of the garbage dis poser, said second conical casing formed with an annular trough portion surrounding the cylindrical wall, a cover overlying both conical casings and provided with an opening eccentric to the cylindrical wall through which eccentric opening garbage is passed, and means for jetting water between the said cover and the said second i named conical casing.

3. In a device of the character disclosed, a casing of substantially inverted conical form provided adjacent its base end with an annular, concave portion, and with a second annular section, a cylindrical wall joining the two annular portions, and a second concentric cylindrical wall extending inwardly of the second annular section to provide a trough between said annular section and the cylindrical wall.

4. In a device of the character disclosed, a casing of substantially conical form, the apex of which is provided with a cylindrical wall portion which extends within the conical wall portion to. provide a trough surrounding said cylindrical wall portion and the conical wall portion, a cover overlying said casing and provided with an opening eccentric to the axis of the cylindrical wall portion, and said conical casing adjacent its base end formed with a segmental annular cut-out portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,539 Williamson Apr. 17, 1894 809,617 Jackson Jan. 9, 1906 1,468,565 Guth Sept. 18, 1923 2,386,415 Webster Oct. 9, 1945 2,511,001 Paden June 13, 1950 2,630,918 Janows Mar. 10, 1953 2,670,143 Jordan Feb. 23, 1954 

